Garment-stretcher.



B. P. KELLY. GARMENT STRETGHER.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.15, 1908.

Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

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BENJAMIN F. KELLY, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

' GARMENT-STRETCHER- Specication of Letters Patent.

Iatented Jan. 19, 1909.

Application and February' 15,'1908. seria No. 416,117.

To all 'whom it may conce-rn:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. KELLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salt Lake City, county of Salt Lake, and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in 't-armeni'.- Stretchers, of which the followingv is a speciication.

My invention relates to stretching fabric, and more particulary to devices peculiarly designed for stretching ,and creasing trousers, though I do not vwish to be limited to this use.

rlhe object of my invention is to provide a device which may be easily inserted into a garment and easily expanded and the parti'cular object of this invention is to provide a construction wherein'the front and back members of the frame are movable relatively and linked together and wherein the expansion shall come' equally u `on the front and back bars of the frame anc also .to provide means wherebythe frame is automatically locked in position by the reverse pressure of the garment.

To this end my invention consists in the construction set forth in the accompanying s ecification and 4specifically stated in the caims ap ended. i

In the rawings, wherein I have shown an embodiment of rnv invention, Figure/l is a face view of the trousers stretcher in its contracted condition. Fig. 2 is a like view of the stretcher in its expanded state as inserted within-'the leg of a pair of trousers. Fig. 3 is a'section on the line azi-az, of Fig. 2.l

Like reference characters throughout the several views designate like parts.

My stretcher is composed of a front har 2 "and a' rear bar 3 of relatively thin metal,

said bars having more or less the general shape of the front and rear profile of a trousers leg. Thesetwo bars are connected by lpivoted links 4, 4, 4', there being one of these links at each end of the device and one preferably in the center. It is to be understood, however, that I may use any number of links that I choose.

One of the links, preferably the link 4 at -the small extremity of the stretcher, that is at what may be termed the bottom of the series of ynotches 4 adapted to engage the free end of an extending` lever 5 which is pivoted at its ther end preferably to the front bar 2 at a peint midway between the link 4 devices for and the adjacent link 4. The preferable connection of the expanding lever 5 with the link 4 and its not-ches 4 is to bend the material of the lever 5 at its extremity into a plane at right angles with the general plane of the lever andto slot this portieri so turned as at 5, the link 4 passing though that slot. One end of the slot is adapted to engage with any one of the notches on the inner edge of the link 4 and the other end ovf'the slot is adapted tocontact with the unnotched edge of the link.

The free end of the lever 5 is inclined to the body of the lever so as to make an obtuse angle. therewith. rI`his is for the purpose v'of increasing the an le between the free end of the lever 5 and t ie link 4". The greater this angle between the free end vof the lever 5 and the link 4, the less power is required to expand the side bars.

I have shown the end bars 2V and 3 and the end of the expanding lever 5 as turned over so as to form hnger holds, as I have found this very convenient.

In operation, it will be seen that with the hars in the position shown in Fig. 1, the

tively close together, ,particularly at the lower port-ion, thus permitting the device to be easily inserted within a pair of trousers. When it is desired to expand thestretcher it is only necessary to draw the expanding lever towards the bar 2, which will bring the two bars 2 and 3 into position where their their links are at right anffles to the bars. This, of course, expands t e device to an extent requisite to stretch the trousers leg tightly over the edges of the bars, thus not only stretching the fabric but creasing'the saine.

.It will be seen that I use the principle of the toggle lever in my device van d that therefore I get great leverage in forcing apart the front and rear bars. The operator does not have to open these bars by hand or force them apartexcept by drawing the end .cf the expanding lever across the notched link Itis also to be noted that I get expansion along t-he whole ex tent of my stretcher, 'not merely at the lower end. By drawing in Fig. l to that shown in Fig. 2, one of the bars is raised relatively to the other and at the same time forced outward by reason of theV movement of the links.

front and rear bars of the stretcher are relaends are in alinement with each other, and.

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the vexpanding lever from the position shown In my trousers stretcher, as constructed for ,ordinary sized trousers, there is an eX- pansion at the top ofabout two inches, and at the bottom of three and a half.' This allows lfor all diiierence in sizes. The reverse pressure of the trousers, particularly when they are stretched tightly will tend to force f the bars to ether, and therefore force the end of the s ot 5 into engagement with the notches 4; thus the stretcher is automatically held expanded to the extent desired, it not being necessary to otherwise fasten the expanding lever after the device has been brought to the position required.

When it is desired totake out the stretcher it is only necessary to press inward on the expanding lever when it will be disengaged for engaging with* the edge of a curtain usually used. The two bars would be pivoted,

to each other by links and the expanding lever would be pivoted to one of the side bars and engage with the notches of one of the links. The construction would be 'precisely the same as that illustrated in the drawing except that it would be made of relatively heavy Wood and that the rear and front bars would be parallel to'each other instead of being inclined outwardly from each other at one end.

Having described my invention what I vclaim is:

1. ln a fabric stretcher and creaser, opposite longitudinal bars links pivoted to and connecting said bars; and an expanding lever pivoted at one end to one of said longitudinal bars havingl its free end engaging 4againstthe inside edge of one of said links,

said link being provided with notches for the reception of the -end of said lever.

2. In a fabric stretcher andY creaser, opposite longitudinal hars; links pivoted to and connecting said bars; and an expanding lever pivoted at one end to one of said bars,

,55 the passage of one of said links, said link' the free end of said lever being slott'edffor being provided with notches for the reception of the end of said slot whereby the lever may beset in any position along said link.

3. ln a stretcher and creaser for trousers and other articles, opposite longitudinal bars independent of and separated vfrom each other along their whole length, said bars being nearer to'eachotherat one end than at the other.; links pivoted to and connecting said bars at their ends; an expanding lever pivoted'at one end to one of the said bars and having its free end engaging against the edge of the link located at the narrow ortion of the stretcher, the free end of said ever being adapted to move along the inside edge of the link; and means for'automatically locking the free end of said lever in any position along the link.

4. In astretcher and oreaser for trousers and other articles, opposite longitudinal bars independent of and' separated from each other along their Whole length; links pivoted to and connecting said bars; an expanding lever pivoted at one end to one ofthe said bars and having a slot in its free end surf, rounding the link, one edge of the slot en-v gaging in notches located onl the link and ada ted to automatically lock the free end of tie lever in-the desired position along the link against the reverse pressure of the garment.

In testimony whereof7 I have signed name to this specification in the presence ofl two subscribing witnesses, this twenty-eighth day of January, 1908.

BENJAMIN 15.1 KELLY. VYitnesses F. CHAMBERLAIN, RICHARD HARTLEY. 

